Escapement mechanism for timepieces.



NoA 867,015. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907. H. GOULLERY.

ESGAPBMENTMEGHANISM FOR TIMEPIEGBS.

Arrmonzon FILED ooms. 190e.

HENRI COULLERY, OF LA CI-lAUX-DE-FONDS, OF SWITZERLAND.

ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM FOR TIMEPIECES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept, 24, 1907.

Application filed October l5, 1906. Serial No. 339.!182.

To all 4whom il. 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI COULLERY, engineery a citizen ol the Republicol' Switzerland7 residing at La (.ihaux-de-Fonds7 Canton ol'Netiicliatel, Swit crland7 have invented new and useiul Improvements inEscapement )'iechanism lor Tilnepiec ot which the 'iollowing aspecilication.

This invention relates to improvements in means for limiting orcontrolling the movement oi balance wheels in time pieces and consistsbroadly in associating a spring with the escapement lever in such amanner to limit the stroke or movement thereof and the invention iurtherconsists in providing adjusting means lor the spring whereby thelimitation ot movement oi the escapcment lever may be varied.

The invention will bc more iully described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and will be more iully pointed out and ascertainedin and by the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view ol a deviceembodying the main ieatures ot' my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan viewthereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view oi a modiiied term of the invention, Fig.4 is a sectional view of a further modification oi the invention takenon line 4 4 oi Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the i'orm shown in Fig.4.

Like characters ol'v reference designate similar parts throughout thedifferent figures ot' the drawing.

As shown in Figs. l and 2 a designates the back or arbor plate ol a timepiece. A designates the escapement wheel which may be driven in theusual manner by other parts oi time piece not herein shown. Saidescapcment wheel A is mounted upon an arbor a journaled in the backplate a and a bridge al and is provided with the usual pallet teeth a3and pinion a*t adapted to mesh with the time train (not shown). bdesignates an arbor which is journaled in the back plate a and a bridgel/ an d is provided with a recess b2 adapted to receive a portion oi theescapement wheel A. An escapement lever F is provided with a sleeve hubB journaled on the arbor b and provided with marginal portions b3adapted to coopera-te with the pallet teeth a3 as shown. Said lever Fcomprises an arm f preferably slotted at f and provided with a toothedsector D. The balance wheel C is shown as mounted upon an arbor c journaled at its opposite ends in the back plate a and a bridge a5. Saidarbor c carries a pinion E with which the sectorD meshes. Means in theform oi a spring G is provided having on one end a stud M adapted toproject into the slot f and being mounted at its other end in anadjusting device. As shown said adjusting device comprises a plate Kmovably mounted upon back platea. Said movable mounting may comprise asshown a slot k and screws a projecting through said slot and anchored inthe back plate f1. The plate K is preferably provided l with displacingmeans which as shown consists ot' a rack it" formed on one of itsmargins and a pinion L meshing with said rack and adapted to be actuatedin any desirable manner. The outer end of the spring G is preterablyanchored in the plate K by means of a spring stud H having a reducedthreaded shank h adapted to be secured to the plate .K and a passage hior the reception oi the spring G. A screw I extending longitudinally olthe stud I'I and having threaded engagement therewith serves to anchorsaid spring G in place.

In the operation ot' the balance wheel it will be obvious that as thesector D moves in the direction ol' the arrow its swinging movement willbe et'l'ected against the resistance oi the spring G which latter' willserve to limit movement of the sector D in accordance with theadjustment ot' said spring G. In the adjustment shown in Fig. 2 theescapement lever F has the greatest possible leverage in theconstruction shown owing t-o the vtact that the stud N is located nearthe outer end ol' the slot f therefore the sector D will have itsgreatest stroke in this adjustment. Il' it is desired to decrease thelength ot stroke of sector D the pinion L will be rotated to displacethe plate K and force the stud N in the direction of the arbor b therebylimiting leverage ot' the lever F and decreasing the stroke ol' thesector D in proportion to the inward movement ot' the stud N. In orderto lock the plate K in its position ol' adj ustmcnt the screws o may beturned down on the plate K or anyv other suitable anchorage means may beprovided.

In the r'orm shown in Figs. 4 and 5 one of the screws aG is dispensedwith and the plate Ii/ is provided with a slot 752 and is guided uponthe plate a by means ol' a screw ai and the spring stud H/ which latterin other respects resembles the spring stud H shown in Figs. l and 2. Inorder to limit or restrict the resiliency et spring G in the modifiedform studs V and V are previded on the plate K and project upwardlytherefrom on both sides ol the spring G. Said studs V and V/ also serveto lessen the liability of the spring stud II/ working loose. Thisconstruction is especially adapted for use in time pieces where thebalance action is unusually strong.

In Fig. 3 is shown a .further modification wherein the escapement wheelindicated by O cooperates with pallets P on a pallet arm Q.. Said palletarm Q is mounted at q and engages a pin (j: on a disk q which may form apart ol and is designed to oscillate with the balance wheel C. The shaftc ol the balance wheel' carries a pinion c adapted to mesh with asector' t ot an cscapement lever' T which latter is mounted upon a studS secured to any Convenient stationary part. The member T is providedwith a slot t/ adapted to receive a stud u oi a spring U similar incharacter to spring G. The mounting for the outer end of the spring U toel'l'ect requisite of adjustment may it desired be in the form shown ineither Figs. 2 or 5.

I claim:-

1. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, a balance wheel, an escapement lever operativelyassociated with said escapement and balance wheels, yielding actingmeans slidably connected with said lever for limiting movement thereof,and an adjusting device for said means.

2. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, a balance wheel, means operatively associating saidescapement and balance wheels, and yieldingly acting device slidablyconnected with said means.

A device of the class described comprising in combination, an escapementwheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewith ,providedwith a toothed sector and a slot, a balance wheel provided with a pinionadapted to mesh with. said sector, a rod spring provided with a studadapted to engage said slot, a displacing device comprising a plateprovided with a spring stud for anchoring said spring, said plate havinga slot, screws projecting through said slot to guide said plate, saidplate having rack teeth, and a pinion meshing with said teeth.

4. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided with a toothed sector and slot, a balance wheel providedwith a pinion adapted to mesh with said sector, a spring rod providedwith a stud adapted to engage said slot, a displacing device comprisinga plate provided with a spring stud for anchoring said spring, saidplate having a slot, screws projecting through said slot to guide saidplate, and means for displacing said plate.

5. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided with a toothed sector and a slot, a balance wheel providedWith a pinion adapted to mesh with said sector, a spring rod providedwith a stud adapted to engage said slot, a displacing device comprisinga plate provided with a spring stud for anchoring said spring, means forguiding said plate, and means for displacing the same.

6. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided With a toothed sector and a slot, a balance wheel providedwith a pinion adapted to mesh with said sector, a spring rod providedwith a stud slidably engaging said slot, a displacing device to whichsaid spring rod is anchored, and means for, displacing said device. l

7. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided with a toothed sector, a balance wheel provided with apinion adapted to mesh with said sector, a spring rod slidably connectedwith said lever, a displacing device to Which said spring rod isanchored, and means for displacing said device.

8. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided with a toothed sector, a balance wheel provided with apinion adapted to mesh with said sector, a spring rod slidahly connectedwith said member, and means for varying the tension of said rod.

9. A device of the class described comprising in combination, anescapement wheel, an escapement lever operatively associated therewithand provided with a toothed sector, a balance wheel provided With apinion adapted to mesh with said sector, and yieldingly acting meansslidably connected with said lever.

In testimony whereof I vaflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRI COULLERY. Witnesses:

R. G. CoFFnY, GRACE L. PHILLIPs.

